Fire-escape



UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

HARRISON VAN SCOY, OF ADDISON, NEWV YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,716, dated April 15, 1890. Application filed January 13, 1890. Serial No; 336,773. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON VAN SCOY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Addison, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-escapes of that class more particularly known as friction and the same consists, broadly, of a body or shank having a T-head provided with perforations, a pin through said shank, and aband 0r girth for inclosing the body of the user and connected to the lower end of the shank.

In carrying out the invent-ion the same also consists of specific details of construction as, for instance, the manner of passing the rope through the head and shank and around the pinall as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general side elevation of my device, showing it in its operative position and its rope leading from the window of a house. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the device proper. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a different arrangement of stringing. Fig. 4is an edge view. Y

To a hook w or to another equivalent support within the room of a house is secured a rope R, which,in event of an alarm of fire, is

thrown from the window W, and upon this rope is mounted my frictional fire-escape, as will be understood.

The user, having swung herself or himself from the window, with the girth A around his waist or connected to his person in any suitable manner, grasps the friction device proper and operates the same to exert a certain friction upon the rope R in the course of his descent, in order that the latter may not be too rapid and that the user will not come in too violent contact with the ground. Of course the user may carry parcels or a small child in his unemployed hand or arm, and, if desired,

even a third person may descend at the same time by resting one foot upon the upper end of the device and holding the rope R between his hands. This latter expedient will, however, rarely be necessary, because when the device has reached the lower end of the rope and the user has disengaged the same from his person it may be drawn up again by any other person who will pull upon the rope, and can be set in position for a second or subse- ,.quent descent, the same as in the first instance. Many devices for accomplishing the above results have heretofore been made, and I will now proceed to describe the manner in which my improved fire-escape is constructed.

The letter S designates a vertical shank, preferably of hard wood, and to the lower end of this shank a metallic strap V is secured by means of bolts or rivets 12 passing through the strap and the body of the shank. The strap V at its lower end extends slightly beyond the end of the shank, and a ringI is preferably inserted therein, into which the snap-hook N upon thevgirth A may be engaged. The said girth is constructed in any suitable manner, preferably of strap with a buckle K, by means of which it may be adjusted in size.

At the upper end of the shank S and securely fastened thereon is a fiat metallic plate H, provided with holes h near each end and rounded edges 0 opposite one of said holes, all as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and this plate stands preferably at right angles to the shank S, whereby in side elevation the entire device will be of approximate T shape, the plate I-I representing the head. Below this plate II at some distance, and in the same plane therewith, the shank is provided with a transverse hole 8, and still farther below this a strong metallic pin P is rigidly secured through the shank at right angles to the plane of the hole 5 and the head H, said pin having an enlarged head 1) at one end, as best shown in Fig. 4. With this construction the rope R is passed first downwardly through one of the holes h in the head H, thence through the transverse hole 8 in the shank S, thence again upwardly through the other hole It, thence bent over into one of the rounded corners O and downwardly to the ground.

This manner of stringing will give a certain amount of friction, which will perhaps be sufficient where a small child or person of very light weight is being lowered to the ground, and itwill be understood that if a person standing on the ground draw tightly ICC on the depending end of the rope the friction will be increased and the speed of descent of the person supported by the device will be correspondingly decreased.

5 In Fig. 2 I have illustrated another form of stringing, wherein the rope R, after having been passed through the rounded corner 0, is given a single or perhaps a .double turn around the shank of the pin P below its head p, and this manner of stringing will of course cause a considerable increase in the friction, thereby adapting the device for supporting a person of much heavier weight, but must generally be operated by the person seated I in the girth A, who will with one hand grasp the shank S and retain the coil of the rope R upon the pin P.

In Fig. 3 I have shown still another form of stringing, wherein the free end of the rope is passed below the pin P on one side of the shank, thence around the shank, and finally over the pin on the opposite side of the shank; but this manner of stringing is only another of the various modifications therein and varia- 2 5 tions in the manner of imparting agreater or less degree of friction to the rope, according as the weight of the person descending on the device mayrequire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is a 1. The hereindescribed fire-escape, the same comprising a shank S, provided with a hole 8, and a T-head H, provided with vertical holes h h, the corners of said head opposite one of said holes It being rounded, as at O, in

combination with the rope R, passing downwardly through one of said holes, thence through the hole in the shank, then upwardly tothe other of said holes, and thence led outwardly over one of said rounded corners and downwardly, and friction devices, substantially as described, engaging the free end of the rope below said rounded holes, as set forth.

2. lhe herein-described fire-escape, the

same comprising a shank S, provided with a hole s, a T-head H, provided with vertical holes h h, the corners of said head opposite one of said holes being rounded, as at C, and aheaded pin P, passing through said shank, in combination with the rope R, passing downwardly through one of said holes h, thence through the hole in the shank, thence upwardly through the other of said holes, and thence led outwardly over one of said rounded 5 5 corners and its free end frictionally engaged with said pin, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described fire-escape, the same comprising a shank S, provided with a lateral hole 8, a T-head H in the same plane with said lateral hole, said head being provided with the vertical holes h h, and its corners opposite one of said holes being rounded, as at C, a pin P, passingthrough said shank below the hole s therein and at right angles to'the plane of said hole, the shank of. said pin beingrigidly secured in the shank and one end thereof provided with an enlarged head 19, the strap V, rigidly secured to the lower end of the shank S and carrying the ring I, and the adjustable girth A, removabl y connected to said ring, in combination with the rope R, its upper end connected to a suitable support, and its body passing downwardly through one of the holes-in the head, laterally through the hole in the shank, thence upwardly through the other hole in the head, and thence outwardly over one of said rounded corners, downwardly and into frictional engagement with said pin, and thence downwardly to the ground, the whole constructed and adapted for use substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HARRISON VAN SOOY.

Witnesses: 4

JAMES BALDWIN, JOHN I'IINMAN. 

